


The Coffee Shop AU

by artsycatnip



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Dark Undertones, International Fanworks Day 2021, Laboratories, Other, game elements, this counts as a small fandom small pairing so why not!, wilson works at a laboratory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29231793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsycatnip/pseuds/artsycatnip
Summary: Wilson is a lab assistant who goes to his favorite coffee shop almost every day. The kind of work he does at his lab is questionable but he never thought too critically about it, until now.
Relationships: Wes & Wilson (Don't Starve), Wigfrid/Willow (Don't Starve), Willow & Wilson (Don't Starve), Wilson/WX-78 (Don't Starve), Wilson/Warly Implied
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. The Baristas.

**Author's Note:**

> hello all!! thank you to those who subbed to me and kept going along with my last story ;-;;  
> i'm hoping not to make this one as long but honestly i just kinda write to my hearts content and sometimes that means really long stories LOL  
> this is an AU and it's... kind of interesting I think  
> I hope you like it! enjoy :D

Cars honked and cityfolk hustled by as a lab assistant rushed towards his favorite coffee shop. He was on the phone, holding it against his ear, in between his shoulder and cheek. 

“Don’t forget to ask for extra cinnamon spice this time.” said a young woman’s voice on the phone.

“I won’t forget again! I told you I was sorry.” the lab assistant said, scratching the back of his neck.

“You said that literally just last week before you FORGOT. What, the cute baristas are too distracting, you little virgin?” the woman teased. The lab assistant blushed deeply and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Willow! First of all I am  _ Not  _ and second of all, mind your business.” he said with a huff. He heard laughter coming from the other end.

“BTW Wes said they want a Mocha.” she said.

“A Regular or a White Mocha?” he asked. The woman on the phone sighed and he heard her ask them what they meant. 

“White Mocha.” she confirmed.

“Alright, got it, I’ll be back soon..ish” he said.

“Ish? Oh you’re going to do that thing where you loiter around watching your favorite essential employee like a little creep, right?” Willow said with a snort.

“Ok the accusations in this phone conversation are unacceptable, I will be contacting my lawyer.” he huffed. She laughed again. 

“Oh just imagine that BOTH of your favorite baristas are there today oh my god. Hey, tell them not to put ice in the drinks, okay? It’ll just melt and water it down by the time you actually get here.” she said. The lab assistant huffed again.

“Ugh, you’re so annoying, whatever. I’ll text you when I’m coming up.” he said before hanging up the phone.

The lab assistant entered the coffee shop and looked around, it was a little busy today and he had to wait in line. As he approached the front he saw both of his favorite barista’s behind the counter, speaking of the devils.

“HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE DARK MATTER, MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER?” said a robotic voice from behind the counter. The robot it belonged to didn’t look up from the cash register. 

“You can take my life if you wanted to.” they heard the lab assistant say, they perked up and looked up with a smirk.

“I’LL TAKE YOU UP ON THAT OFFER.” they grinned at him. He smiled and leaned his elbows on the counter. 

“How are you doing today, Wx? Oh, and hi, Warly! Good to see you both,” he said. The Supervisor, Warly waved to the lab assistant as he made drinks. Wx-78 leaned their own elbows on the counter, looking at the lab assistant. 

“WELL I’M BORED OUT OF MY MIND AND HATE MY LIFE. HOW ARE YOU, WILSON?” they asked. Wilson adjusted his glasses.

“Just wanted some coffee, got roped into getting some for my roommates.” he rolled his eyes. 

“COMPANIONSHIP AT HOME SOUNDS AWFUL, I AM ALREADY SICK OF HUMANS AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY BECAUSE OF THIS JOB.” they grimaced. Wilson laughed.

“It’s not so bad, this is my favorite coffee shop after all. I like any reason to be here.” he said. 

“OH? AND WHY, PRAYTELL, IS THAT?” the bot asked with a smirk.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, robot?” Wilson said with a smirk of his own. A clearing of the throat from behind him reminded him that he was in fact holding up the line. He blushed and quickly ordered himself an americano plus his roommates items. The robot rang him up, glancing at him as they did so. Wilson handed them the cash, his hand brushing against theirs as they gave him his change. The two exchanged another glance before Wilson went to the pickup counter. He sighed audibly. 

“Bonjour Monsieur Wilson.” Wilson heard, looking up and seeing Warly making drinks and handing them off. He smiled towards Wilson, who blushed and waved. 

“How’s working?” he asked him. Warly shrugged.

“Exhausting. But seeing smiling faces from my culinary creations in the shop makes it somewhat worthwhile. Somewhat.” he said, side-eyeing the customers. Wilson laughed.

“Well at least the work day will be over soon, right?” he asked. Warly nodded with a smile. He looked at Wilson.

“Don’t get the wrong idea mon amie, but may I ask you a question?” he asked, going up to Wilson with a whisper as he asked. 

“If you  _ moustache  _ then I will answer.” Wilson said with a grin. The barista stared at him for a moment. 

“Are you single?” Warly asked. Wilson blushed deeply.

“What!? E-Er I-I uhm, yes… is it that obvious?” he asked awkwardly. Warly laughed and shrugged. 

“If it were obvious I would not be asking, right?” he raised an eyebrow with a smirk. Wilson thought about it for a moment and laughed.

“True! Er… may I ask why you’re asking then?” he twiddled his fingers together.

“No you may not, there are certain interested parties who are curious, that’s all.” he replied with a knowing smile before returning to his work. 

Wilson pouted, he glanced at Wx-78 then glanced at Warly. Was it one of them? They were both his favorite baristas… He couldn’t imagine ever trying to ask them out though, especially not at work, that would make things awkward if they didn’t return his attraction. He could wait for them after work was over? No, that would be so creepy. Maybe slip them his number somehow… but, both of them? What if they already had partners? Warly was certainly a handsome man, but he did lean a bit more towards Wx… but what would his family say if he went out with another  _ robot _ ? They were so demanding about him dating someone with the same faith, and robots weren’t known for their ties to race or religion. 

That would be assuming they’d even say yes, Wx was sought after by many of the patrons, at least Wilson thought so. Too many passing glances, too many flirtatious gestures, it seemed like everyone who went to this coffee shop was a little in love with them. Was it that they played hard to get or their sleek frame that brought everyone in? Perhaps it was the way that they snuck glances at you when they thought you weren’t looking, their sneaky smile that was full of a hunger for mischief and love. Maybe it could be the way that they spoke about the moon and the constellations, one time taking up an entire hour of the lab assistant’s day to talk about the different phases of the moon and how accurately cultures like the Mayans were able to calendar them. 

He chuckled remembering that particular memory, once he had made it back to the lab he got quite a scolding from Winona about dilly dallying during his lunch breaks.

“Ahem, Wilson?” he suddenly heard, perking up and looking at Warly trying to hand him his order items. 

“Oh! Apologies Warly, I was a little spaced out.” he said with a laugh.

“As usual.” Warly replied before he waved Wilson off and went back to work. Wilson grabbed his order items and glanced at the baristas again. He bit his lower lip and paced around a bit. He re-tied his shoes, adjusted his glasses, and pretended to check very important messages on his phone. He tapped his foot and glanced once more at the baristas then took a deep breath. He turned around and grabbed a napkin from a nearby dispenser, grabbing the pen that was in his jacket pocket he quickly wrote down a number. He waited for a chance, for the register to be empty. With a deep blush and wavering confidence he picked up all the items from his order and rushed to the order counter, he slid the napkin to Wx. 

“No obligation! Just if you wanted! Igottagobye!” Wilson said in a hurry and rushed out of the coffee shop, not even waiting for their reaction as he quickly lost his nerve and immediately regretted everything. 

He blushed and nervously checked his phone, nothing yet. Maybe he was too forward, he hoped they didn’t hate him next time they went to the shop. Could he even show his face there again if they didn’t reciprocate? He decided he wouldn’t check his phone again, but it was easier said than done. He approached his apartment building and texted his roommate group chat. 

‘Down here, open door pls’ 

…

‘k’

The doorbell beeped and he entered the building, opening the mailbox on his way up. Nothing but bills. He sighed and went up the stairs, the door already open. As he entered he saw Willow and Wes on the couch eating some popcorn. 

“Delivery.” he said, putting the items down on a nearby table. Willow continued sitting on the couch while Wes got up.

“Did you remember my fucking cinnamon spice?” she asked, glancing at Wilson. 

“Oh man, I forgot.” said Wilson. Wes looked at him with surprise.

“Wilson! Are you serious? I even told you-” she started before she was cut off by Wilson’s laughter.

“Gotcha! Yes there’s extra cinnamon.” he said, rolling his eyes at her dramatics.

Wes grabbed his white mocha and walked over to Wilson, putting their arm around him. Wilson leaned on his friend while grabbing his americano. They nudged Wilson’s arm and glanced at the clock. Wilson followed his line of sight and squinted, he glanced at Willow. 

“The fact that he’s back earlier than we thought he’d be?” she asked Wes for clarification, they would usually sign what they meant but with both hands full they simply mimed it out. Wes nodded at her clarifying question. Wilson huffed.

“Well… I may have done a ballsy move and that’s why, if you’re curious.” he said, sipping at his americano. Wes moved Wilson to the couch where he was in between Willow and Wes. 

“Ooh, do tell!” Willow said excitedly. She leaned in close and grinned at Wilson, Wes doing the same and batting his eyelashes. Wilson sighed.

“I gave Wx my number.” he said, then took another drink from his americano. Willow slapped his arm, making him almost choke on his drink.

“The ROBOT? Well you definitely have a type.” she teased, “What was it you liked about the other one anyways? The huge dick or what?” she laughed loudly. Wilson blushed and hit her arm playfully. 

“It was their charming personality.” he said, taking another sip from his americano. Wes nudged Wilson and gave him a knowing look.

“Ok yeah it was the huge dick.” Wilson shrugged as he answered truthfully. Willow and Wes laughed loudly and turned back to the tv.

“So you think they’ll text you?” Willow asked, changing the channel to some cooking competition. Wilson glanced at his phone, nothing yet.

“Maybe not... perhaps it was a mistake on my end.” he said with a sigh. 

Wes stretched his fingers, air bubbles within them popping and getting Wilson’s attention. He gestured to the clock then signed about how he should give them time, since it was still a work day for them. 

“You’re right, I just worry that they feel I encroached on their boundaries and then I might never be able to go to that coffee shop again and that would be really inconvenient because not only does it have the best pastries of all the coffee shops in this area but it’s also the closest one to my lab and-” Wes flicked his forehead before he could continue, “Ow!” he said, rubbing his forehead with a pout. He glared at Wes who only smiled innocently and drank their mocha. 

“Just chill Wilson, you gave them your number and gave them the option, that was the best thing you could do. I mean imagine if you had waited for their shift to end, that would have been so creepy.” she laughed. Wilson gulped as he drank his coffee. “You weren’t thinking about doing that, were you?” she squinted as she asked. 

“The thought passed my mind, is it really that bad?” he replied then asked.

“No of course not, a complete stranger who you only talk to for a few minutes a day waiting for you to be alone late at night so they can invasively ask you questions that are personal about who you like and where you live? Not creepy at all.” she said sarcastically. 

“I wouldn’t do anything malicious!” he assured. Wes rolled their eyes and flicked Wilson's forehead again.

“I know that, but  _ they  _ don’t know that. And imagine they rejected you, that would be really awkward, right? They couldn’t just escape the awkward situation by getting back to work either. Is that really what you want to do to someone you supposedly like?” she side eyed him.

“No! I see your point. Good thing I didn’t do that.” he said with a nod of the head. She and Wes both nodded. He checked his phone again, still nothing. “Ugh, this is gonna bother me all night.” he groaned. Willow and Wes smiled amused and then returned to their tv program. 

Wilson got up and went to their shared room, he had a loft bed and his desk was strewn about with papers and nonsense. He really needed to clean it, but his roommates hadn’t bugged him about it and until they did he was most likely not going to get to it. As he sat on his desk to write down some notes for tomorrow’s work day he kept glancing at his phone, but still nothing. His heart sunk and he poured himself into his work. 

As the night went on he started to doze off, it was still early and he had to eat soon but he was almost done typing up his notes to share with the team tomorrow. His head hit the table, he laid down for a moment and was startled as his phone vibrated. He eagerly checked it.

‘HI WILSON, HOW DO I TURN CAPS LOCK OFF- WHY IS IT TYPING WHAT I’M SAYING. STOP. STOP THAT. WARLY YOUR PHONE IS TRASH.’ he received as a text, he blinked and then started to laugh. What an adorable message, he could see they were typing another.

‘hi i kind of miss caps lock

this is warlys phone because i dont have one

i would text you if i could but im using his phone to tell you i cant sorry 

see you tomorrow?’ the messages read as Wx sent them one by one. Wilson frowned and scratched the back of his neck. Was that the truth or were they just avoiding talking to him? He technically had Warly’s number now but it would be creepy if he texted him from this circumstance, wouldn’t it? He took a deep breath and texted back

‘Oh. Thank you Warly for allowing the phone use. Sorry to bother. It’s okay, and I apologize for assuming. I’ll see if I can stop by the coffee shop tomorrow Wx. Have a good night.’ he texted, pouting to himself and laying his head down again.

‘OK I HAVE CAPS BACK ON

I AM JUST LETTING YOU KNOW I AM SERIOUS

IF I HAD A PHONE I WOULD BE TEXTING YOU 

BUT I DO NOT

WARLY HAS TO GO NOW SO I WILL GIVE HIS PHONE BACK

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU TOMORROW WILSON’ the texts read out, Wx sending a new text when they could have just put a comma to continue the thought. He looked at his phone and looked at the messages. Was that the truth? How could he know they were telling the truth? It seems like an easy way to reject someone, but at the same time they wouldn’t be saying they were looking forward to seeing him again if they didn’t mean it, right? What if he got them a phone, would that be crazy? It would definitely be crazy. They’d think that he would think that they owe him something, right? But that wouldn’t be true, but how would they know that… He was already wrong on something he thought was nice today but was actually creepy! What if this was creepy? He took a deep breath and exhaled, maybe it was better to act natural and see where that took him. 

He got up to get dinner and then go to bed for the night.


	2. The lab assistant.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson starts to doubt the work that his lab is doing, he also asks Wx out on a lunch date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tone of this fic is (if i'm successful) lighthearted with a hint of awful dread in the background. gotta love it! Hope you enjoy :D also this chapters kinda long sorry dfjngasdf

The next morning Wilson woke up and rushed to work, his hair looked messy but in a good way, he wondered if there was a way he could style it to look this way on purpose. As he arrived at the laboratory building he bid everyone a good morning. 

“Higgsbury, why do you even bother styling your hair when you know the goggles will just mess it up?” asked Maxwell, one of the lab techs who had been here a bit longer than him and was far more experienced. He looked up to him but Maxwell admittedly got on his nerves too, especially his unwanted comments about Wilson’s appearance, which he seemed to make a lot.

“Actually I woke up like this, it’s natural beauty,” he said with a smirk, washing his hands in the sink near the lockers and then putting on his lab equipment. The goggles were definitely going to mess up his hair, which did bother him, but it was just a side effect of his job he supposed. Maxwell laughed as he patted Wilson’s back. 

“Of course. Excellent work on the notes by the by. I saw them this morning on the shared documents drive. However, don’t fall victim to burnout by working so late at night. We need you at tip top shape today. This experiment could be dangerous and you need to be vigilant.” Maxwell said, with a stern tone.

“O-Of course Mr. Carter, I’m ready for anything.” he said with a smile. Maxwell nodded and turned around to head into the laboratory proper. Wilson glared after him as he walked, he was just a lab assistant sure but that didn’t mean he needed to be talked down to. Fixing himself up and putting his gloves on, he entered the laboratory. The smell of a sterile work environment quickly entered his olfactory system and he saw plenty of the other lab assistants and techs working on their own tasks. 

“Hey Wilson, Wagstaff’s all ready for us if you want to head in now.” Winona said as she gestured for Wilson to follow her. 

“Already? I thought he said it would take a bit before the specimen was ready?” Wilson asked.

“Apparently it’s already reacting, we had to rush to get some lab assistants in there to observe but they have other tasks they should be doing so hurry it up.” she said, snapping her fingers, though the sound was a bit odd with her rubber gloves on. Wilson rushed to the environment room, he felt a chill as the sealed observation room was open to let him and Winona inside. Upon entering he saw the other lab assistants as well as Robert Wagstaff observing the specimen from behind a glass window.

The specimen looked like a shadow, but it moved erratically, wildly changing shape but never taking on a real form. Wilson observed it as did the other lab assistants, with clipboards in hand ready to write down anything out of the ordinary. Wilson did not have a clipboard of his own as he was in charge of devoting complete attention to the specimen.

“Exposing the specimen to electrical current.” Wagstaff said, the assistants at the ready to observe. As he turned a dial, the observing area did not visibly change, but the specimen wiggled around wildly, it expanded within the area and pulsated. Winona made her own observations as the specimen continued to pulsate, though it made no other movements. Wilson squinted as he looked closely towards the specimen.

“Notice how the specimen now has the electrical current going through it, this is not permanent but it can be observed in other specimens as well. The hypothesis is that it can all contain this ability to hold current but it cannot be utilized without an output.” Wagstaff said as the assistants rigorously took notes. “Don’t forget to make your handwriting  _ legible  _ so that Mr. Higgsbury can accurately input the notes into our documents folder. Some of you should have gone back to school for penmanship, not science!” he laughed, his moustache curling up with his smile. The assistants laughed as did Wilson and Winona. They returned their attention to the specimen which had finished pulsating and was once again idly moving, the movements were subtle. Wilson thought it looked like it was breathing.

“I am going to go through various temperatures within a timespan of 30 seconds, observe carefully and only write down what you see. Accurate observations only, do not write down what you  _ think  _ you saw.” Wagstaff said sternly. “Ok, 3, 2, 1.” he counted down before starting the procedure. The specimen grew and shrunk various sizes upon the different changes in temperature, fluctuating shape wildly before finally lying on the ground and doing nothing. Wilson winced as he saw it sitting still. Wagstaff had said the specimen was not alive, and was simply responding to different environmental changes the same way chemicals would but he was not so sure. When the experiments started he felt a pressure on him that wouldn’t leave, it drove him mad. 

But it was a necessary risk. The dark fuel left no lasting environmental impact, could be harnessed indefinitely, and was much more efficient than oil. This alone made their work dangerous, powerful forces in government could easily find ways to lock every last lab tech up for this work. It was precisely this reason that Wilson ceased his mind ramblings, the risk was worth the reward. He went back to observing the specimen like the others, it stayed still.

“It seems to have become stagnant, let’s try the electrical current again, shall we?” Wagstaff said, before reintroducing the electrical current. The specimen stayed still this time, though it still looked to be ‘breathing’ to Wilson. Dr. Wagstaff sucked his teeth and sighed in a hushed tone. “No reaction. We must now wait.” Wagstaff said, removing himself from the controls of the environment room. The lab assistants wrote down their final observations before they started to exit the room. Winona stayed behind with Wilson. He went up to Wagstaff who was gathering up his things.

“Doctor, why do we wait for the specimen to recharge rather than getting a new one?” he asked. Wagstaff looked at Wilson and stood tall.

“Waste of resources, and it’s better from a long term standpoint to observe how one specimen works over a long period of time rather than always calling upon new ones.” he assured. Wilson nodded, looking at the specimen once more. It was still, but he felt his skin crawl. He could swear it was looking at him.

Wagstaff gestured for Wilson and Winona to exit the room with him. They left the specimen there. As Wilson exited the room he took off his goggles and wiped the sweat from his brow. Winona laughed as she patted Wilson’s head, he fussed about with his hair.

“Don’t get tired already, it’s time to check on the motors.” she said triumphantly, Winona was in charge of maintenance for most of the machines that they had around the labs and she was always excited to get a chance to show them off. 

Wilson and Winona headed towards a room with large ceilings, with several different motors strewed about, the one that was on was annoyingly loud. Wilson walked into the room, readjusting his goggles before putting on headphones that were available at the entrance to the room. Winona did the same. They met up with Maxwell who was in front of the cleanest looking motor. She started to speak, clicking a button on the side of her headphone as she did. The headphones used radio frequency to mimic a walkie talkie but in portable, wearable format. It drowned out a lot of background noise so she had to speak loudly nonetheless.

“Did it hold up to water?” she asked. 

“It did, but that’s in the case of rain. In the case of extreme weather would it be the same? We haven’t tried submerging it.” he replied.

“Do we have the manpower to at this time?” Wilson chimed in with his question.

“We’d need to get the lift back from Lab A.” replied Maxwell.

“What do those assholes need it for anyways? They’ve had it for months now.” Winona said, annoyed.

“I believe they want to keep it in the hopes that we get tired of asking and buy a new one. They’ve always been underfunded.” Maxwell said with a roll of the eyes.

“Suddenly that’s our problem? Bunch of ingrates.” Winona said. The motor continued to run. 

“What now?” Wilson asked. 

“Work with what we’ve got, half-pint.” Winona said, patting Wilson’s hair once more. 

“I’m a year older than you.” Wilson groaned. 

“But the height of a child.” Maxwell said with a grin. Winona laughed and gave Maxwell a high five. Wilson rolled his eyes as he put the hood up on his lab coat to keep his hair safe, he readjusted his headphones. 

“Ready.” he said. The three got to work, testing the motor through various types of hazards and weather they could safely simulate. The motor held up but the three agreed not to overload it and stopped the tests. They sighed in relief at the now quiet room and they took off their headphones. Wilson stared at the motor as the other two took off their goggles.

“Is it really safe to be doing this?” he asked. The other two looked at him strangely.

“We’ll get the proper equipment if I have to wring the neck out of the big wigs in Lab A, trust me.” Winona said with a grin. Wilson shook his head.

“No, I mean we’ve only been coming in here with our lab coats, goggles and gloves. What if the dark fuel is toxic and we haven’t noticed yet?”

Maxwell and Winona glanced at each other for a moment before looking back at Wilson.

“If you’ve been having side effects, Higgsbury, it’s imperative that you tell us.” Maxwell said with a grim expression.

“I haven’t. I just worry because of the comparison to nuclear fuel is all.” he said truthfully. Winona exhaled. 

“Wilson, it’s  _ our  _ job to make sure this stuff is safe for commercial use. We’re literally the ones who are responsible for any mishaps so make sure you’re being completely honest with all your observations.” she said, squinting at Wilson. 

“Of course.” he said with a nod. The three exited the room, but not before Wilson looked back at the motor once more. He turned off the lights on his way out. 

The scientists at the lab worked as normal that day, Wilson tried to push the looming thoughts of dread from his mind as he took the other lab assistants notes and logged them on the computer. Winona groaned, her desk was close to Wilson’s so he looked at her curiously.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“I’m so tired, I think I need coffee.” she sighed. 

“Work day’s almost up, don’t give in to the caffeine addiction.” he lectured. 

“From the guy who goes to the coffee shop every single day? Hypocritsbury.” she said with a snort. Wilson laughed. 

“Well if you do go, I’ll happily come with. I was going anyway.” he said with a smirk.

“Obviously. You have much more to do?” she asked.

“Just a bit more left, but nothing I can’t just take home.” he assured. 

“Of course, work-a-holic.” she laughed before she got up and got her stuff ready to leave, Wilson did the same. The two said their goodbyes and exited the lab together. They went through the metal detectors and into the daylight of the street. They spoke idly as they walked towards The Dark Matter coffee shop. 

Upon entering, Wilson saw both Warly and Wx-78 yet again, his heart bounced in his chest but he tried not to overwork himself before he even spoke to them. Winona and Wilson walked up to the order counter. 

“HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE DARK MATTER, WHAT CAN I GET YOU?” asked the robot. Wilson waved awkwardly. They perked up and smiled at him, though the smile faltered a bit upon seeing Winona.

“Hi Wx, just a doppio for me. Winona, what would you like?” 

“Hm? Oh don’t worry about it, I’ll order separately ‘cause I wanna get a pastry too. I’ve heard the pastries here are really good.” she said, waving her hand. Wilson nodded. He looked at Wx as he handed them the money. He looked like he wanted to say something but blushed a bit remembering Winona was right next to him. 

“Er, actually oh my goodness, I don’t know what I want after all. Can you cancel my order and uhm, Winona can you go first?” he asked awkwardly. Wx-78 sighed as they cancelled the order. Winona stared at him strangely. 

“Ok sure whatever, go find a seat then, letterhead.” she said, referencing the very strange specific style of Wilson’s hair. He looked at his reflection on a glass case, it wasn’t that bad was it? He went to one of the empty tables and set his things down, luckily it wasn’t too busy during this time. His work hours at the lab weren’t nearly as much as the work hours he had from home, and it allowed the lab employees time to work their schedules around easily. Winona sat down across from him after ordering and looked around. 

“I hardly ever come in here. I usually just drink the coffee at the lab.” she said idly. 

“But a nice cup of coffee and a pastry is so rewarding.” Wilson said.

“Yes, and expensive, Higgsbury.” she laughed. Wilson smiled and then tapped his fingers on the table. 

“Remember how you said to be honest with our observations about… the Thing at work.” he said subtly. She squinted and nodded. “I … have something to say about it.” he said. She sat up.

“Alright, I assume that’s why you chose the table closest to the back of the store?” she said, noticing their location. Wilson shrugged. “Well, I'm all ears, just as soon as we both get our coffee.” she raised an eyebrow. Wilson perked up, forgetting that he didn’t order yet. He got up and went to the empty register. Wx-78 looked up. 

“FRIEND OF YOURS?” they asked, glancing at Winona.

“Just a coworker.” Wilson said, not realizing their jealous tone, “Hey… about yesterday.” he began with a blush. Wx looked curiously at him. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything.” he said. Wx-78 laughed.

“IS IT THAT HARD TO BELIEVE I JUST DON’T HAVE A PHONE?” they asked. Wilson winced a bit and scratched the back of his head.

“Well when a large chunk of the population has one, I suppose I just assumed the worst.” he said. Wx-78 raised an eyebrow.

“I REALLY JUST DON’T HAVE ONE.” they said, matter of factly. “NOW ARE YOU GOING TO ORDER, OR WHAT, LETTERHEAD?” they grinned, repeating Winona’s nickname for him. Wilson huffed. 

“I’ll take a doppio.” he said. Wx-78 blinked.

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE RECONSIDERING YOUR ORDER?” they asked, squinting.

“No, I just wanted to talk to you without my nosy coworker hanging around behind me.” he said with a laugh. Wx-78 grinned and laughed too . They rang him up and glanced up at him again. Wilson looked into their eyes and smiled. They glared at him playfully.

“STOP HOLDING UP MY LINE, LOSER.” they said. Wilson laughed and went to the pick up counter. He held his gaze on the robot for a bit too long. Warly cleared his throat and gave him a knowing look.

“Oh Monsieur, you’re breaking my heart with those eyes full of love for my mechanical companion.” he said. Wilson blushed deeply and laughed a bit.

“T-thanks again for letting me know about the phone situation.” he said, his voice cracking a bit from embarrassment. Warly laughed and waved his hand.

“Of course, it’s a shame they don’t have one. I certainly know our fellow Baristas would appreciate being able to contact them for work related items.” he said with a scowl. Wilson looked at him curiously.

“Is there a specific reason they don’t have one?” he asked. Warly shrugged.

“I could not tell you. You’ll have to ask them yourself.” he said, then handed Wilson his items along with Winona’s. Wilson gave Warly another look before he took the items and sat down with Winona.

“Yeesh, there you are. Is flirting with a robot more important than bringing me my much needed coffee?” she teased. Wilson blushed.

“As a matter of fact, yes.” he laughed. 

“So what is it that you wanted to talk about?” she asked as she took her latte and muffin from Wilson. He looked around curiously, took a sip of his espresso and exhaled. 

“It’s about the… fuel.” he said. Winona took a bite from her muffin.

“Mhm?” she asked with her mouth full.

“Do you ever believe it might be… alive?” he asked with a hushed tone. Winona swallowed and looked at Wilson seriously.

“I do. But you know we can’t say that to the old man.” she spoke with her own hushed tone.

“But then, is this ethical? I was hoping what we were doing would change the world for the better, not the worse.” he whispered.

“It’s just a theory, it might not be at all and we’re working ourselves up for nothing.”

“But you feel it, don’t you? Or is it perhaps a side effect?” he asked her. She stayed silent for a moment.

“We have a job to do, Wilson. That’s what we’re paid for. If you don’t like it, the non-disclosure agreements were pretty clear on what would happen if you left the study.” she whispered sadly. Wilson sighed. 

“I know.” he said, taking another sip from his espresso.

“Lighten up buddy. Tell ya what, you and I can look into the database and see if anyone else has similar observations. Wagstaff’s been telling everyone to be honest so if anyone else feels the same then I’m sure we can all bring it up.” she said with a smile. He nodded.

“Thanks Winona.” he said, perking up. She gave him a thumbs up before continuing her muffin. 

The two continued to talk until their drinks were done, and then spoke a little while longer before they decided to head home. 

“You can head out before me if you’d like. I’m just going to sit for a spell.” Wilson said as Winona got her things together. 

“Oh, sure, see you at work tomorrow Wilson.” she said, off on her way. Wilson sat at the table alone, he glanced at the baristas behind the counter. Warly had stepped away from the counter a bit ago, leaving Wx to tend the register and orders by themself. They were, of course, excellent at it, so it was not a problem for them. Wilson saw the empty line and decided to go up to the counter, gathering his things in case he needed to make a hasty exit. 

“Sup.” he said, then internally slapped himself at his lame greeting.

“YOUR COWORKER HAS LEFT WITHOUT YOU.” they said with a raise of the eyebrow.

“Huh? Oh, I mean yeah it’s not like we live together.” he laughed.

“OH.” Wx said, surprised.

“Oh did you think- no no, we just work in the same spot, like you with Warly.” he said. Wx-78 blushed at themselves and laughed.

“OH, I UNDERSTAND NOW.” they said. Wilson smirked a bit.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were jealous?” he asked, a bit hopefully. Wx-78 squinted at him and playfully hit his arm.

“YOU WISH.” they said with a laugh. Wilson smiled and then glanced at them again.

“Hey… sorry if this is personal, you don’t have to answer. I was going to ask about the whole phone situation.” he started. Wx-78 raised another eyebrow.

“YOU ARE PERSISTENT.” they said. Wilson flinched, he blushed and scratched his arm.

“I-I’m sorry, I’m not trying to invade your boundaries. I’ll stop asking about it.” he said, mentally cursing himself.

“IT IS ALRIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT YOU OUTSIDE OF THIS JOB. BUT IT IS SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE. I CANNOT OBTAIN A CELLULAR DEVICE.” they said, looking away sadly.

“Oh. I understand. I’m sorry for bringing up a sore subject.” he said. 

“IT IS ALRIGHT. I AM NOT SORE.” they said. Wilson giggled. He looked away then looked back at Wx.

“Say, if you’re interested… Would you want to grab lunch together?” he asked with a blush. Their eyes widened.

“WHY WOULD WE GRAB THE LUNCH? YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO EAT IT?” they said, batting their eyelids innocently.

“... I...It’s an expression, you see-” Wilson started to say before Wx started laughing loudly.

“I KNOW. I WAS JUST MAKING FUN OF YOU. SURE, LETTERHEAD.” they said with a grin. Wilson’s face lit up, he beamed. 

“Ok! How about tomorrow?” he asked. Wx-78 blinked.

“WOW. EAGER MUCH?” they smirked at him. Wilson blushed and backtracked.

“O-Oh I mean whenever you want to, I just thought maybe tomorrow would be good.” he said. 

“YOU’RE SUCH A LOSER.” Wx said with a snicker, “TOMORROW SOUNDS FINE. I BREAK FOR LUNCH AT APPROXIMATELY 14:00.” they assured Wilson. 

“Ok! I’ll see you then. Goodnight Wx-78, say goodnight to Warly for me too.” he beamed. They nodded. The two looked into each other’s eyes for a prolonged moment before Wilson finally broke away and walked out of the store with a wave. Wilson sighed with relief at finally working up the nerve to do anything. He had been going to that coffee shop for weeks now, nearly 2 months. He thought about Wx’s eye contact as he exited the store. He thought about the glass that covered their eye sockets and how delicate it was, the beauty that those eyes beheld whenever looking into a reflection. He silently wondered how the robot could see. How it was obvious when they rolled their eyes. How their metal seemed to squash and stretch in physically impossible ways. He thought about how he could tell that the robot was looking into his eyes, even though their eyes were pitch black.


	3. On Robots.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willow and Wilson discuss what they think about robots in their crazy modern world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter than my usual and definitely more Wilson interacting with his roommates but I hope you still like it!

Wilson practically skipped into his shared household, humming a bit as he opened the door. Willow greeted him from the kitchen, he heard her footsteps as she approached.

“Hey, welcome back. How was work?” she asked as she fidgeted with the glove on her hand. 

“Oh, it was fine. But guess what?” he said with a beaming smile. Willow squinted and she smiled at him 

“What? A promotion?!” she gasped. Wilson frowned.

“I wish. No, I asked Wx-78 out, sort of.” he said with a smile.

“No way!” Willow said excitedly, she bounced in place and rushed back to the kitchen. Turning the stove down on her gumbo she rushed back to the couch where Wilson sat down. 

“Well, just a lunch date, but they seemed receptive to my advances.”

“Yeah ok, casa nova,” she said rolling her eyes, “gonna text Wes I bet they’ll be like so surprised.” She said as she got her phone out and started texting their group chat. 

“Where do you think I should take them? I mean wait… do they eat. Oh my God I didn’t ask if they eat. Willow, what do I do?” Wilson asked, suddenly feeling paranoid that he might have offended them.

“Chill, they wouldn’t have said yes to a lunch date if they didn’t eat, right?” 

“I don’t know. The other robots I’ve dated just charged up. Maybe they all just eat electricity? Do… Should I give them batteries?” Wilson asked, very seriously.

Willow stared at him.

“No. Don’t do that. In fact don’t even mention any other robot you’ve dated and just don’t say anything about robots at all.” she said, shaking her head.

“Oh. Okay.” he said with an embarrassed blush.

“Don’t you work at a lab? I figure you’d know all about different robots and their like… anatomy.” 

“My lab deals with chemicals and elements, some more easily corrosive to metal than skin, even with PPE. So we don’t have any in the department. There are some in the other departments, but we don’t really intermingle between labs much.” he mused. “I do know that my boss has apparently designed some of the most efficient automatons to date, though they were manufactured elsewhere so I’ve never seen them.” 

“Efficient? Are they hot?” Willow asked, nudging Wilson’s arm.

“How should I know!? I haven’t seen them!” he blushed and laughed.

“I bet there’s probably a catalogue somewhere with his automaton designs and they’re on pull out pages so you can see them in all their glory, just for people like you who get a kick outta metal and wires.” she laughed.

“I mean hey if it exists, I’ll buy it.” he said with a shrug. Willow laughed before she looked at Wilson inquisitively.

“What do you think it’s like? Being non-human in a world that wasn’t made for you?” she asked him.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I mean people  _ advertise  _ them like they’re just mindless workers, but you’ve already dated two and they were both really cool. When we met them, it felt like I was talking to a person, is it okay that they’re just working for nothing?” Willow asked, gripping her sleeve.

“Well no one asked the designers to build a  _ sentient  _ life form. They could have just made them machines with no emotions or dreams.” Wilson said and shrugged.

“Maybe they designed the robots with emotions to halt the mechanization protests. Cause if we think that the robots have something to live for too then it makes the sting of them taking jobs less hurtful.” 

“I mean you still have to pay them so they still move the economy. The protests seem aimed at the wrong target.”

“Yeah they didn’t exactly ask to be built with sentience and then thrust into the world with little to no free will.” Willow said with a sigh. She stared at the wall in front of her, “I guess being created and then abandoned is something me and a lot of those machines share in common.” she said with a dry laugh. 

“Jesus, are you alright? Where did that come from?” Wilson asked with concern.

“Oh, sorry. Just makin’ jokes. You don’t find it weird that machines can be basically like people?” she asked. His eyes didn’t fixate on anything in particular.

“I don’t know. I don’t need to know how everything works. I like them, so...” he shrugs. She laughed and reached up to pet Wilson’s head, messing up his hair a little. He pouted and fussed with it to fix it. She got up and went back to the kitchen to finish up her food. Wilson got up and went to their shared room, putting his stuff down and taking out his laptop. He sat in his office chair and began to finish typing the notes that he hadn’t finished at work. His hands positioned over the home keys when he suddenly stopped. 

His mind was stuck on the automaton that he had asked on a lunch date. They were always so expressive, so full of life. The other machines he had dated weren’t exactly like partners, at least they never saw it that way. They had spoken of Wilson like a companion, someone to satisfy because they’d grown an attachment to him. He didn’t mind at the time, since that's the way those machines in particular interpreted love. But maybe he wanted more than that. There were people he had had crushes on, Willow being one of them. But he had never worked up the nerve, the feelings eventually passed. He didn’t know if he could put himself out there again only to be met with little to no romance. He shook his head and sighed, trying to focus on his work when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate. 

‘HEY WILSON. THIS IS WX-78 USING WARLYS PHONE AGAIN

BECAUSE HE LET ME

I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR LUNCH TOMORROW

MY LUNCH BREAK IS AT 14:00 DONT FORGET 

OK GOTTA G’

Wilson read the messages with a giggle, he saw there was still a message being typed and he looked at his phone excitedly.

‘Hi Wilson, this is Warly. Wx stole my phone but I stole it back, they’re so short they can’t reach lol.’ 

Wilson laughed as he got a picture of Wx-78 practically climbing on Warly to try and reach the phone. He texted back.

‘omg that’s so cute. can you tell them i’m looking forward to our date?’ he blushed as he texted. There was a pause in the conversation before Warly replied.

‘I said date and they got so flustered. If you break my barista I’m sending you the repair costs.’ 

‘i accept the charges. thanks again for letting me chat with them through your phone warly. see ya tomorrow?’ 

‘As usual.’ was the last message he received from Warly, he sighed to himself and got back to work. As he looked over the notes of his colleagues based on today’s experiment he thought back to the dark fuel, the way it seemed to turn and look at him. Winona had implied that he should drop it but how could he? Especially when she felt the same way. He felt guilty for enjoying the little things, going on a date with a robot and getting espresso every day when he was working on something so potentially world changing. He supposed as long as he kept those things apart that everything would work out, right? 

He kept his work up, eventually finishing up early enough that he could finally eat dinner at a reasonable time. He got up and went to the kitchen, he saw Wes and Willow making food.

“Hah, I left and you were making food and now I come back and you’re making food again.” he teased Willow.

“Yeah well some of us actually eat in this household.” she snapped back with a grin. Wes waved to Wilson and then rushed over. They signed him congratulations for finally working up the nerve to ask someone out again. Wilson laughed.

“It’s impossible to tell you two anything.” he rolled his eyes.

“You’re just the funnest one to tease here.” Willow mused. Wes went up to Willow and pinched both of her cheeks. “Ow! You’re supposed to be on my side!” she said, smacking Wes’ hands away. 

Wilson smirked as he got up and went over to Wes. He leaned down and messed his hair up, rubbing at their head and ruining their perfectly styled hair. Wes gasped and stomped their foot. He hit Wilson’s arm, playfully, but it did hurt. 

“Wow, low blow.” Willow said in a disappointed tone. Wes hid behind Willow and stuck his tongue out at Wilson. 

“It’s no one’s fault but your own that you two didn’t get enough calcium growing up.” Wilson said. He was slightly taller than average but he just happened to know very short people. 

“Boo, why don’t you go fix some light bulbs then? Ya lamppost.” Willow said with a laugh.

The three began to chit chat while they had dinner, Willow usually cooked for herself but the three weren’t very picky about what they ate so she didn’t ever mind cooking for the others as long as they kept the fridge stocked. As they sat down to eat Wilson looked at Willow and Wes. He was grateful for the love he had in his life, even if he couldn’t hold down a romantic partner. He had to keep repeating this to himself as he was anxious about his date. Wx seemed into him enough, but they could just be acting nice because they didn’t really know Wilson deeply. That was the entire point of a date, right? But what if it went horribly wrong and they never wanted to see him again? 

Oh god what was he going to wear? He couldn’t just show up in nice clothes at the lab tomorrow, they’d definitely ask him what was up. Oh but what did it matter what they thought? They didn’t have to wonder about his personal life. But what if the dark fuel messed the clothes up? Perhaps something casual but still nice, that he wouldn’t mind terribly if corrosive acid fell on it. He sighed deeply. Willow and Wes both looked at him curiously.

“You good?” Willow asked. Wes repeated the question in BSL. 

“Yes, I’m fine, just anxious about tomorrow.” he said. 

Wes patted Wilson’s arm and signed that it would be alright and he should just make sure they didn’t end up hating him so he could still go to his favorite coffee shop.

“Oh yea that was definitely the goal.” Wilson said sarcastically. 

“Wilson, you really gotta learn to relax.” Willow said with a snort. 

“I know, I’ll be fine, I’m just going to be anxious for a bit.” he laughed. Wes and Willow both smiled at him before they returned to their conversation.

After dinner Wilson was getting ready to retire for the night, he looked at himself in the mirror of the restroom, the ambient noise of the city came in through the window. He stared outside of it for a moment and took in the night air. There was a knock at the door. When no voice followed it he figured it was Wes and quickly washed his hands before he got out and let them in. He went to their shared room and saw Willow in her bed, already knocked out. He checked his phone one last time before he climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.


	4. Date.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing new with the dark fuel, supposedly. Wilson goes on a date with Wx-78!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god sorry this took so long it's sort of a super long chapter lol, romance developing!!!

The next morning Wilson awoke to the alarm on his phone blaring under his pillow. He yawned and didn’t make any motion to actually turn it off. After a few more seconds of the tone very loudly filling the area he felt a pillow hit him. He got up suddenly and turned to the source of violence. Wes was glaring intensely at him and he quickly turned off the alarm. Wes continued to glare before they turned around and went back to sleep. They could be so terrifying in the morning. 

He slipped out of bed and went to the restroom to freshen up and shower. As he showered he realized he forgot to bring his change of clothes into the bathroom and sighed. Fixing up his hair and topping off his clean shave in the mirror, he exited the bathroom wearing only his towel around his waist. Willow walked into the hallway where the restroom was, trying to get to the kitchen. She saw Wilson and frowned.

“Wilson. Do you want to see my jugs? Is that why you walk around half naked all the time? You want me to do the same? Is that what you want? To see my milk makers, Wilson?” she asked him with a straight face. Wilson blushed indignantly.

“I forgot my clothes…” he said, covering up his chest.

“I BOUGHT YOU A ROBE, PERCIVAL.” she said, putting her hands up in defeat as she shoved past him and went to the kitchen.

“I love you!” he said apologetically.

“MEN.” she responded exasperatedly. Wilson couldn’t help but laugh a bit as he went to their room. Retrieving the outfit he had set out for himself that day he looked out the window at the clear skies. Luck was on his side today, as long as he didn’t blow it himself. He finished putting on his clothes and turned to see Wes still sleeping. Their job at the library seemed exhausting albeit with a lax schedule, pretty similar to Wilson actually. He had never once seen them leave for work since he had to get to his own job pretty early. He shrugged and went to the kitchen to grab a quick bite before leaving. Willow was fixing herself up some toast with jam and butter, she turned around and saw him. 

“Ooh, nice outfit. I see you’re dressed to impress.” she raised an eyebrow and laughed. Wilson smiled as he put water to boil and got out some bread with jam in order to copy Willow’s breakfast. 

“Obviously. I bet robots have higher standards than people about how to dress.” he said. Willow looked at him oddly.

“Really? They mostly seem naked?” she said.

“Well. Wx probably does anyway, they wear clothes.” he said. 

“Ah. Do you think that’s like a work thing that they get forced to do or like a stylistic choice?” she wondered as she sat down at the table and ate her toast.

“I think it’s probably both? I mean technically we’re animals and we shouldn’t have to wear clothes but we do.” 

“Mhm.” she said and squinted at him. He realized how that sounded based on the earlier incident and laughed. He got up and got two tea cups out of the cupboard, setting a tea bag in each. He poured the almost boiling water into them and set a cup for her before setting his own down in front of him at the table.

“Thanks.” she said, blowing on her tea a bit to let it cool down. Wilson smiled as he did the same. The two sat in silence, fiddling with their phones as they ate breakfast and drank their tea. They let the relative silence fill the air and relaxed in it, Wilson almost fell asleep at the table before Willow tapped his arm.

“You’ll be late, c’mon.” she said. Wilson perked up.

“Sorry, can you put these in the dishwasher? Pleaaase.” he begged and batted his eyelashes. Willow rolled her eyes.

“Yeah okay, good luck at work! Can’t wait to hear how your date goes.” she grinned. Wilson smiled and rushed out the door, heading to the tube to get to work. 

\---

He arrived at the laboratory building and went through the metal detectors, showing his I.D. and heading towards the locker rooms. He tried to hide his frown as he saw Maxwell also getting ready for the morning. He went to his locker and took off his jacket, putting himself together.

“Looking rather put together today Higgsbury, good on you. Must be a special day.” Maxwell said, noting Wilson’s nicer attire. Wilson looked away a bit to roll his eyes before he looked back at Maxwell with a smile and tilt of the head. 

“Ah, thank you Mr. Carter, nothing particularly special. Just an outing later.” he said, keeping up his fake smile. Maxwell smiled in return and said nothing more as he put on his lab attire and washed his hands. Wilson put on his lab attire, being careful that his lab coat covered his nice clothing, then put his goggles above his head. He washed his hands and entered the laboratory. Right away Winona spotted him and headed towards him. 

“Hey! Good morning Wilson. How are you feeling?” she asked him.

“I’m alright, thank you. Are we going to check what we discussed yesterday?” he asked tentatively. 

“Hm? Oh, yes of course, but first we have to check the main specimen, it’s got energy again.” she said as she looked at something on her clipboard.

“Oh. Of course.” he said, then headed towards the observation area. He felt the familiar freshness of the observation room as he headed inside with the other observers, plus Winona, Maxwell, and Doctor Wagstaff. This time he had a clipboard. He could see there were various objects in the observation area, and this time the dark fuel was in a beaker being held up by a crane. Wilson tilted his head as all of the crew settled in. Wagstaff turned to his employees and cleared his throat.

“Today we will be placing dark fuel in various different electronics, then testing those gadgets for durability in different weather patterns, electricity, plus a bit of radiation, about as much as you’d get from the sun on a very sunny day, any questions?” he listed off quickly. Wilson wrote down some notes. One of the lab assistants raised their hands. 

“Yes?” Wagstaff asked.

“About how much fuel will be put into each electronic?” they asked.

“Good question, approximately 10 millilitres.” he confirmed. Wilson and the other observers wrote that down. 

“I will start by pouring it into the fuel reservoirs of each gadget. You may observe if you wish but this is not part of the experiment.” he said as he used his controls to lower the crane holding the beaker and tilted it, the machine pouring an almost exact measurement of what was needed. The fuel was strange, it acted like a fluid when poured but visually it was viscous and almost see through, it boggled Wilson’s mind. He waited for Wagstaff’s next steps. 

“Ok, Winona if you would do the honors, my dear. Everyone, pay attention.” he said. She nodded and took out her own switch. She flicked it and the gadgets behind the observation glass turned on all at once, doing various meaningless motions like swinging back and forth or rotating. The observers wrote down their observations, how some of them started later and some of them seemed to stutter in their activity. 

“Beginning rain test.” Wagstaff said. The observation room began to rain down very lightly, Wilson could see the machines throwing out sparks as the water went down the drain located at the bottom of the room. He wrote that down. He noticed the temperature of the room decreasing on a monitor that read out the room conditions, small icicles forming as Wagstaff turned a dial.

“Cold temperatures.” Wagstaff said. The machines ran uninterrupted, continuing their motion with little to no incident despite the negative celsius temperatures. Wilson wrote that down. Wagstaff said nothing but he also didn’t seem unhappy.

“Extreme heat.” he said. Wilson saw the temperature of the room rise on the monitor, he saw the machines continue to run despite it, and wrote that down too. Wagstaff still said nothing. 

“Radiation. Step back.” he said. The observers stepped back and watched the machines from afar, they continued their motion with little to no change. Each test had lasted a few minutes, but the results seemed the same for all of them. Wagstaff gripped at his beard and pulled on a few hairs.

“Okay, step forward. The final test is electricity, it should be different from testing the fuel by itself.” he said, turning a different dial. The observers could see the machines sparking, they continued their motions but a little quicker. Wilson saw one of the machines, the spout of the fuel looked like it was leaking. He wasn’t sure if it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. He observed it closely, it was definitely moving, albeit barely. Like the fuel was trying to come out of the gadget. He squinted, trying to adjust his eyes to make sure he was seeing properly. He was so focused he didn’t notice when Wagstaff stopped the electricity. The fuel retreated back into the gadget quickly. The doctor looked at Wilson for a moment. 

“Did you notice something out of the ordinary, Mr. Higgsbury?” he asked. The observers all looked towards Wilson. He blushed a bit. 

“The one at the far left looked like it was running a bit slower than the others, that’s all.” he said. The doctor looked at him curiously and nodded. 

“Be sure to annotate that in your notes. Well done everyone, I’ll be looking over your notes personally this evening and evaluating for next steps of testing, but it’s looking good. A lot of our hypotheses have substantial evidence.” he nodded and stroked at his beard. “Group A, I want you in specimen observation today. Group B will handle the motors.” he said. Winona sucked her teeth in but nodded. Maxwell smirked and opened the door for everyone. Wilson glanced at the observation area quickly before he exited and headed towards the clean room where the microscopes had been set up to study the fuel. 

“Ugh, can you believe this? I hate the molecular bullshit, it hurts my eyes.” Winona complained as her, Maxwell, and Wilson headed towards the clean room.

“If you ask me, it’s an upgrade from the intense volume of your precious motors.” Maxwell said. 

“I have to agree.” Wilson laughed. Winona waved her hand at the two of them. The three suited up in even more protective gear, plus different goggles and gloves in order to enter the clean room. They went into the sealed door, hearing air escape as it sealed shut once more. It smelled as clean as it looked, and it had a minimalist set up. 

The microscopes and various tools were made of surgical steel and there was industrial grade cleaner under the cabinets. Winona sighed under her mask and went to a few petri dishes that had been sitting under a UV light for a few days now. She took one and went to a microscope, she set the petri dish aside then got some tools from nearby. She opened the dish of dark fuel and took a very small sample using a dropper. She prepared it on the microscope slide then slid it into place while Maxwell and Wilson did the same with the other petri dishes. She leaned into the microscope and adjusted the magnification. She had a pencil and paper on a clipboard next to her to write down any new observations. She did see what looked like cells but they didn’t have any components that would point to any significant amount of life, if anything it looked more like archaea. She already knew this though, as the laboratory workers had been monitoring these specimens for quite some time, with no significant changes. She increased the magnification, hoping to find something new, but there was nothing. She lifted her head up and sighed, looking over to Maxwell and Wilson.

“Find anything?” she asked. 

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” Maxwell said. 

“No new developments here.” said Wilson. 

“At least it means the UV doesn’t change the structure of the cells. We’ll keep looking for a little longer but I think after that we should prep the next sample for the next observation team.” she said. 

“What’s the next sample?” Wilson asked. 

“Electrical current running through the specimen for approximately 24 hours.” Maxwell said. 

“Dr. Wagstaff seems very keen on electricity changing the samples structure for some reason doesn’t he?” Wilson wondered aloud. 

“What do you mean?” asked Maxwell.

“Well it’s not like electricity interacts positively or negatively with any other known fuel source, why is he so determined to see that this one does or does not?” Wilson asked the two. They looked at each other for a moment then shrugged.

“I’m sure he’s got reasons he’ll tell us eventually. Let's get back to work, shall we?” said Winona, returning to her microscope. Wilson nodded and returned to his own. Eventually the three had had enough of looking at the same exact archaea under different magnifications and cleaned up the slides and petri dishes. They prepped new petri dishes with a different sample of the dark fuel and placed them in a metal container that was then set to run an electric current. The three exited the cleanroom. They removed their gear and set it into one of the decontamination bins. Winona stretched and cracked her knuckles.

“Alright, I’m about ready for lunch, anyone else?” she asked Maxwell and Wilson.

“I brought food from home but I can accompany you if you’d like to go out to eat.” Maxwell said to Winona. She smiled and looked at Wilson.

“Oh I plan on taking my lunch break just a bit later today.” he said with a smile.

“Boo, okay. C’mon Max.” she said to Maxwell. Maxwell gave Wilson a goodbye wave before he walked off with Winona. As soon as they exited the laboratory Wilson rushed to a computer. He wanted to complete as much work as possible so he could have an extra long lunch break, and hopefully his robotic date would have as much time too. He blushed thinking about it and threw himself into his work. He kept a close eye on the time, and a close eye on the door. He did like Winona and Maxwell as coworkers and work friends but they could be a little judgemental and he didn’t want them to know where he was going or who he was going on a date with.

The time was 13:25, he would leave soon. Maxwell and Winona were still not back, maybe he wouldn’t run into them after all! As if on cue the two returned a few minutes later, refreshed and in their laboratory outfits. Maxwell went off to his own desk while Winona stopped by Wilson’s. 

“Hey, I’m back.” she said.

“Welcome back.” he said, barely looking up from his screen.

“Wanna check on our little curiosity now?” she asked, settling into her chair. 

“Actually I haven’t had lunch yet, I just got so caught up in work haha. I was about to head out.” he said, slightly lying. 

“Oh wow, you have to eat! We can check when you come back, I insist you leave now.” she said, patting Wilson’s back.

“Right now? I was actually just going to check one last thing-” he said honestly. 

“Whatever it is can wait until you return with a full belly, I insist.” she said. Wilson smiled internally, this was his plan of course. Winona would probably not think twice about what he was doing since he hadn’t eaten all day, she especially wouldn’t notice if he took a longer lunch. 

“Well alright, I’ll be back. See you later!” he said, waving at Winona. He walked calmly to the exit of the laboratory and to his locker. When he was out of vision he quickly took off his lab gear and fixed himself up in a mirror nearby, fussing with his hair and checking himself for any strange smells, human or laboratory induced. He quickly checked his phone to see if there were any messages from Warly’s phone, but there were none. He took a deep breath and exited the building, going through the metal detector and heading towards the coffee shop nearby.

He entered the shop and fussed with his hair one more time then looked at the counter, sure enough Wx-78 was there. He beamed as he saw Wx, they were taking a customer's order then rang them up. Their smile immediately faded when that customer walked away, they rolled their eyes and tapped the counter. Wilson waltzed up to the counter with a grin. Wx-78 noticed him right away and smirked. 

“YOU HAVE ARRIVED ON TIME, GOOD.” they said. Warly looked up from his position at the back of the counter and waved to Wilson.

“Good to see you, Wilson. Wx, don’t forget to clock out.” 

“I WILL NOT FORGET. SHUT UP.” they groaned before going to the back for a bit. Wilson waited awkwardly to the side of the counter as Warly took the place behind the cashier. He smiled at Wilson, who smiled back. When Wx-78 came back out they were wearing a pleated skirt and a V-neck, it looked like sensible work attire, but it was also very cute. Wilson blushed and smiled dumbly.

“You look nice.” he said to them.

“YOU LOOK ADEQUATE.” they grinned and left the counter area, standing next to Wilson. He smiled down at them, they were pretty short, it was kind of incredibly adorable. The two stared at each other for a moment before Warly cleared his throat. 

“I’ll see you later Wx.” he said with a chuckle. Wx-78 pouted and nudged Wilson to get a move on. He moved to the door and held it open for them as the two walked outside. 

Wilson and Wx stood outside the shop now, they looked around and then at Wilson. Wilson clammed up a bit and fidgeted with his fingers.

“...CAN WE GO?” they tilted their head and asked.

“Oh! Of course. I just spaced out.” he said, starting to lead Wx along as they walked along the sidewalk. 

“I HAVE NOTICED YOU DO THAT A LOT. IS THAT A TRAIT YOU PICKED UP OR THAT YOU WERE BORN WITH, I WONDER.” they said aloud.

“Probably both.” Wilson said with a laugh. Wx continued to look around and their eyes landed on Wilson’s stubble, squinting at it a bit but deciding not to ask about it.

“SO WHERE ARE WE GOING?” they asked. 

“Oh, I know this nice Italian place nearby, if you’re up for it.” Wilson said.

“THE PLACE WILL HAVE ITALIANS?” they asked.

“It will have Italian food.” Wilson confirmed.

“OH. WHAT IS ITALIAN FOOD?”

“There are many different types of food in Italian cuisine but it primarily features carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers, as well as fresh herbs like basil and parsley. Italian cuisine from Italy itself differs in that the dishes take on a more simple approach due to the freshness of the ingredients holding flavor without having to be cooked, but since we’re in London we make do with freshly  _ cooked  _ ingredients.” Wilson ranted a bit. Wx tilted their head a bit and didn’t respond for a moment, Wilson worried that he just bored them with his silly explanation, Why did he do that? They obviously could have just seen for themselves.

“WHAT ABOUT MEAT?” they asked.

“Oh, they have meat too. I didn’t take you for carnivorous.” he laughed. 

“I INGEST ANY TYPES OF FOOD. MY PALETTE IS NOT AS SENSITIVE AS YOU HUMANS’, BUT I DO PREFER SWEETS.”

“Oh, really? Do you want to go to a bakery instead?” Wilson asked with a smile.

“BUT WE ALREADY HAVE PLANS?” Wx asked. Wilson laughed and put his hand gently on their arm. He nudged them to turn left.

“It’s okay, plans change. Sometimes life is spontaneous!” Wilson said excitedly, “While I’m sure you have plenty of delicious pastries at work every day from Warly, I’d like to show you one of my favorite sweet spots.” he turned the corner. Wx-78 squinted and said nothing as Wilson led them in a totally new direction. At the end of the street there was an establishment situated on the corner, it was pastel pink all over. Wx snickered a bit at the outlandishly cute decor. 

“IT’S VERY PINK.” they said.

“Pink is a good color,” said Wilson. 

They walked in, the bell over the door ringing as it signified their entrance. The place had quite a few people there enjoying their delicious treats as they sat at the tables. The front counter had a lovely glass display case showcasing all of their sweets in plastic form, Wx looked on in wonder. They leaned up and whispered to Wilson.

“WHY IS THE FOOD PLASTIC? ARE WE EATING PLASTIC? I’VE NEVER TRIED IT.” they said with a straight face, looking up at a bewildered Wilson. Wilson covered his mouth and started to laugh. Wx-78 kept their serious expression on.

“I’m sorry, no. Those are just for display, You see-” Wilson started before Wx-78 interrupted him, laughing louder than Wilson had.

“I KNOW. I FEEL LIKE I CAN GET YOU TO EXPLAIN ALMOST ANYTHING IF I ACT IGNORANT ENOUGH, IT’S ENTERTAINING.” they said with a cheeky smile before they went up to the ordering counter. Wilson blushed with embarrassment and joined them.

“Get anything you like, this place is amazing!” Wilson assured. Wx-78 looked curiously at the things in the display cabinet. 

“ORDER FOR ME.” they said. Wilson perked up.

“Huh? Really?” he asked.

“YES. I WILL SIT DOWN.” they said before walking away to find a table. Wilson blushed, he wasn’t sure what they liked. Was this some sort of test? Or were they just not sure, did he overwhelm them with choices? He took a deep breath and started his order at the counter. 

A few moments later he found Wx-78, they were stretching and sitting idly on a table with one empty chair across from it. Wilson caught up and sat down, putting the display number they had given him in the middle of the table. Wx-78 looked at it curiously.

“YOU ORDERED THIS?” they asked. Wilson squinted at them and raised an eyebrow.

“Is this another one of your jokes or are you asking seriously?” he asked them.

“SERIOUSLY.” they confirmed.

“They bring the food out to you, as long as they know which table the order number is going to.” he said, pointing at the number on the table.

“OH. BRILLIANT! THAT MEANS WE DO NOT HAVE TO GET UP, THIS PLACE IS GOOD.” they said with a nod of the head. Wilson chuckled. 

“Well here comes the awkward small talk part of the date, right?” Wilson asked with a warm smile. Wx-78 blushed a bit and looked at him oddly.

“WHY ARE YOU INSISTING ON CALLING THIS A DATE?” they asked outright. Wilson flinched a bit, a few onlookers had heard and were giving Wilson pity looks. 

“Er… if you don’t want it to be it doesn’t have to be, I just thought…” Wilson started, his voice faltering a bit.

“HUMANS AND MACHINES CANNOT DATE. SO … WHILE I AM ENJOYING YOUR COMPANY, I ADMIT I AM A LITTLE PERPLEXED.” they said honestly, drawing circles on the table with their finger. Wilson blinked, he bit his lip. He knew that Willow said not to mention the other robots he’s dated but…

“I don’t think that’s true. In fact I’ve already dated other automatons before. Though we had different needs in life so it didn’t end up working out, but I do miss them both.” Wilson said nonchalantly. Wx-78 stared at him.

“WHAT. YOU DATED TWO… A-AT THE SAME TIME?” they asked. Wilson blushed.

“No! I mean over my lifetime.” he said, his blush worsening. 

“OH. SO, YOU AND THEM…” they started to say, Wilson looked at them curiously. “YOU… TOGETHER.” they continued, they were blushing. Wilson lowered his voice but smiled warmly at them.

“If you’re asking about intimacy, yes. Regardless of people finding it strange or not we didn’t pay it any mind. As long as no one harrasses you it doesn’t matter.” Wilson said. Wx-78 blushed brighter, it was obvious on their face. 

“WAIT. SO YOU’RE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN ME? THIS IS AN ACTUAL DATE?” they asked in disbelief. Wilson blinked.

“Yes. I apologize for not making that clearer, is that okay?” he asked, worried that they were now regretting their decision for lunch with him. 

“NO, I MEAN YES. IT’S FINE. I-I’M NOT USED TO THIS.” they said, they looked incredibly flustered. Wilson felt really guilty that they didn’t know now, he had called it a date didn’t he? Did he ask incorrectly? Were they staying because they felt guilty? He would try to not be too forward... 

“It’s okay. Though I am surprised that you’re saying that. I’ve seen at least half your customers look at you longingly.” Wilson said idly. Wx-78 flinched, they held their face trying to make their blush leave.

“NO. STOP. YOU’RE EMBARRASSING ME.” they said with a huff. Wilson grinned and held his cheek in his hand. 

“Ok ok, I’ll stop, sorry!” he smiles wide then glances to his side, noticing a waitress coming out with their food. “Food’s here.” he says. The waitress takes the number from the table and sets down their items. She smiles at them before walking back to the kitchen. 

In the spread of food there were two different scones, profiteroles, a sandwich, two types of muffins, and 2 teacups plus a small teapot at the center. Wx-78’s eyes widened as they looked at the spread. 

“IT IS PLEASING TO THE EYES.” they said, about to reach for something.

“Ah! Hold on a moment please.” Wilson said, taking his phone out and snapping a picture of the spread. Wx-78 looked curiously at him.

“WHAT WAS THAT?” they asked. Wilson smiled and got up, he walked over and stood next to them. He held the phone in front of the two, putting his arm around Wx and smiling at the camera.

“It’s a picture, you can take them from a phone. If you smile it’ll be a nice picture.” he grinned. Wx-78 looked at the camera, pointing back at the two of them side by side, they smiled and Wilson snapped a picture. “Ah, that’s a keeper.” he said as he sat back down across from Wx.

“SO YOU KEEP PICTURES IN YOUR PHONE AS MEMENTOS?” they asked, and reached for something. They gauged Wilson’s reaction and Wilson nodded, urging them to try from the food. 

“Yes! There are a lot of things to do with a phone. But I think nowadays most humans find that they’re sentimental towards their devices.” Wilson said, smiling at his phone. Wx-78 looked wistfully towards Wilson’s phone. Wilson noticed this and smiled awkwardly. “Anyways, let’s dig in!” he said, placing the teacup next to Wx’s small plate. He served them tea and then served himself tea. He placed the teapot down gently and then took half the sandwich for himself, placing the other half on Wx’s plate. They grinned. 

“IT’S SO NICE TO BE SERVED.” they mused. Wilson chuckled and ate from his plate, drinking his tea. Wx-78 looked at the tea curiously before they sipped from their teacup and nodded in approval. They took a profiterole and tasted it, the cream dirtying their mouth. “OH. THIS IS DELICIOUS. AND MESSY.” they said as they tried to lick around their mouth. Wilson couldn’t help but look at their weird metal tongue, how was it bendy? Wx caught him staring and frowned. “STOP STARING AT MY MOUTH. I DON’T KISS ON THE FIRST DATE.” Wilson blinked and then realized what they said and blushed.

“Oh. Sorry, no. I was just… uh…” he didn’t know what to say exactly. Wx-78 laughed maliciously at him before they wiped their mouth and continued to eat. Wilson scratched the back of his neck and laughed too. 

“SO, YOU’RE A SCIENTIST, CORRECT?” Wx asked as the two continued to eat.

“Yes.” Wilson said, adjusting his glasses.

“IS THAT WHY YOU DATE MACHINES?” they asked very seriously. Wilson snorted and covered his mouth a bit as he chewed.

“No, that’s just personal. Besides, I’m not an engineer, I’m a chemist.” he said, taking a bite out of his scone and a sip of tea.

“CHEMIST? ENGINEER? I THOUGHT ALL SCIENCE WAS THE SAME.” 

“They’re different, but it’s pretty much just book nerds trying to one up each other.” he said with a smirk as he drank from his tea. Wx-78 grinned and snickered to themself. 

“MY JOB IS NOT LIKE THAT. IT’S JUST DEALING WITH ENTITLED HUMANS ALL DAY LONG. IT’S TORTURE.” they said, their smile falling into a frown. Wilson looked at them curiously. 

“Have you tried applying to other places?” he asked. Wx looked at him, they scowled.

“YOU DO KNOW THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS, RIGHT?” 

“Oh… what do you-” Wilson started to ask.

“I WAS BUILT FOR A PURPOSE, COMMISSIONED BY THE OWNER OF THE DARK MATTER TO BE A PERMANENT EMPLOYEE. I CAN’T LEAVE, THEY OWN ME. IT IS ALSO WHY I CANNOT OWN A PHONE. I CANNOT OWN ANYTHING.” they said, looking down at their reflection in their tea. Wilson was quiet and looked into his own reflection in his tea.

“Oh, I had no idea… I’m sorry.” he said as he cursed himself internally for being so insensitive.

“I HAVE ACCEPTED THIS AS A FACT OF LIFE.” they said, though their expression was full of disdain. This didn’t really make much sense to Wilson, why would a machine be built with free will and the ability to regret their life if it was supposedly where they were meant to be? That just seems overly cruel. Something didn’t add up. 

“Well… even if we can’t communicate outside of your work hours I would really enjoy your company.” he said with a warm smile. Wx-78 looked up at Wilson slowly. 

“YOU’RE A FOOL.” they said with a smirk.

The two continued to eat and idly chatter, though the time passed quickly. Wilson knew he would get an earful from Maxwell and Winona but he just didn’t want to leave Wx, especially knowing what they were returning to. A job that they hated, that they had to stay in, contact cut off from the outside world outside of work hours… The two sat in silence, the meal already having been paid for by Wilson, neither wanted to return. Wx-78 eventually got up, Wilson looked at them.

“LET US GO.” they said. Wilson nodded and got up. The two started to walk back towards the coffee shop. Wilson scratched the back of his neck, he wasn’t sure what to say anymore, or if he had turned them off from him completely.

“WILSON.” he heard them say, and looked over at them quickly. “DO NOT PITY ME.” they said, short and to the point. Wilson nodded. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to. I’m mostly worried that I messed up everything and that you hate me.” he said awkwardly. Wx-78 smirked.

“YOUR HONESTY IS A QUALITY I LIKE ABOUT YOU.” they said, “I THINK YOU ARE STRANGE.” they continued. Wilson blushed with embarrassment.

“Is that bad?” he asked quietly.

“NO.” they said. Wilson smiled and stood up straight as he walked them back to the shop. Their face was expressionless as the two got closer to the store. Wilson clenched and unclenched his fist. He took a deep breath.

“Uhm!” he started, Wx looked at him, he flinched, “Would you like to go on another date some time?” he asked with a shy smile. Wx-78 looked at him oddly.

“HM… WOULD I LIKE TO?” they repeated his question, Wilson twiddled his fingers together. “NO I WOULD NOT LIKE TO.” they said, waiting for his reaction. Wilson completely deflated and gripped at his sleeves awkwardly.

“I understand.” he said sadly. Wx-78 laughed maliciously.

“I WOULD NOT LIKE TO BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO.” they said with a snarky grin. Wilson blushed and frowned.

“That was so mean!” he said in disbelief. Wx walked ahead of him as the two were coming up on the shop. They turned around and stuck their tongue out at Wilson. Who could only look surprised and slightly offended. 

“GOODBYE WILSON. I ASSUME I’LL SEE YOU TOMORROW, SINCE YOU COME HERE EVERY DAY.” they said with a laugh. Wilson smiled warmly.

“Well how can I resist?” he asked with a laugh, “I had a nice time.” he said and waved a goodbye to Wx as they blushed and waved back. They entered the coffee shop, when their back was turned, Wilson immediately started to sprint towards his job. He was going to get such an earful.


	5. Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilson finds a weird email in his bosses inbox, then goes home and has some stew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took me so long! sort of a long chapter but it sets up some stuff :^) ty all for reading so far!

Wilson finally returned to the lab and wheezed as he put on his lab attire and sat down at his desk. Winona turned around from her own desk and looked at Wilson accusingly.

“Geez Wilson, got lost on your way back? You’ve been gone forever.” she said and laughed loudly.

“Uhm, there was a long line.” he said with an awkward smile. Winona squinted at him and nodded. 

“Ok, no problem, though you might have to make up that work later tonight.” she said with a wave of the hand, “Should we check that  _ thing  _ now?” she asked him. Wilson perked up, he had completely forgotten! 

“Oh, yes! Shall I pull up the notes?” he asked, finding the file on his computer. Winona shook her head.

“There are  _ some  _ notes that are handed to Dr. Wagstaff personally, and those are the exact notes he said he would be reviewing closely this evening.” she said. Wilson looked at her curiously.

“Ok, so we should see those then, where would they be?” he asked, searching the team's shared cloud files online. Winona laughed. 

“Dearest Higgsbury, these are files that are handed to him  _ alone _ , as in no one else has access to them. If anyone is feeling the same way that you are there’s no way they’d say it publicly, but they would say it to him personally.” she said matter of factly. Wilson blinked.

“So… how are we supposed to get them..?” he asked. Winona smirked again.

“We’ll just go into his office and check.” she said with a shrug. Wilson flinched.

“What!? He’s so strict about people going into his office uninvited, we’ll get demoted, or even fired!” he whispered with an urgent tone. Winona waved her hand.

“Nah, I’ll distract him and you can check, he doesn’t keep a password on his computer, he probably has the file open right now too so it won’t be a big deal.” 

“I don’t know Winona… this seems… like a fireable offense?” he squinted. 

“With that attitude it is. Don’t you want to know, Wilson?”she asked him.

“I suppose so… but what do you get from all this? You don’t even believe me.” he side eyed her. She leaned in close.

“Ok fine, I was going to ask you to check his email for any word on promotions. I’m supposed to be up next for one and if I don’t get it I want to know who does or else I’ll raise hell.” she said in a hushed but serious tone. Wilson broke eye contact with her and sighed.

“Alright, but you have to make sure this distraction works. What’s my excuse if someone catches me in there?” he asks.

“Hmm… good question. I don’t know. Don’t get caught.” she said, patting his back. Wilson looked at her and winced. 

“That’s not reassuring…” he said, feeling unsure of this plan.

“Don’t worry, just do things quickly and get out, don’t spend any unnecessary time dawdling.” she glared at him.

“Alright… how bad is it if I get fired anyhow?” Wilson said sarcastically. 

The two went off to Dr. Wagstaff’s office, Winona taking the lead. They saw he was in there, looking at some papers. She nodded. 

“Ok, I’m gonna make up something, he’s gonna follow me, you go in.” she whispered to Wilson.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you went in? If someone found you in there they wouldn’t question it, but not me.” he whispered pleadingly.

“You won’t be able to distract him as long as I can.” she said triumphantly. Wilson said nothing but his expression was laden with anxiety. He waited around a corner as he saw Winona come out of the office with Dr. Wagstaff, then continued to wait until the corridor was empty. He took a deep breath and made his way into his boss’s office. He gulped a bit, it was messier than he remembered it being a few weeks ago when he had come in for his employee check-in. He made his way to Wagstaff’s computer, carefully putting on rubber gloves… just in case the doctor ever dusted for prints. He could see that the documents were indeed already open just like Winona had suspected. He scrolled through the comments made by the other observers, most were observations on the appearance of the fuel, noting how it seemed to change viscosity depending on how it was moving. He frowned, was he really going crazy? He kept reading but it didn’t look like any of the other observers mentioned anything about the fuel moving on its own or anything similar. 

Maybe it was one of those things where they were all thinking it but they were too afraid to say it, or they had seen it and convinced themselves it was nothing. He groaned and tried to push it out of his mind as he went into his boss’s email. He felt incredibly guilty doing this, he scrolled a bit and saw something with the subject line “Promotion?,” that had already been replied to by Dr. Wagstaff, he clicked it. It was a long thread of the department chairs going over seniority status, employment age, and skills of various employees. He saw Winona was being suggested for a promotion, he also saw… his own name! From Lab assistant to Observation coordinator. He grinned, this was wonderful!

Alright… time to head out then, he thought to himself. No need to dawdle, just as Winona had said. He was about to switch away from the email tab when something caught his eye. An email that had been replied to with the subject line “Your faulty design.” He clicked it curiously, the sender looked to be someone from one of the well known manufacturers in the greater London area. The report detailed an incident with ‘an employee’ which led to increased levels of aggression and injury to another employee. He raised an eyebrow, why would this manufacturer be sending details about an employee spat to Dr. Wagstaff?

He continued to scroll and saw there were pictures attached, he checked the time on a clock nearby. He’d get going in a moment, but he was so curious… he opened the pictures and looked curiously at an automaton he didn’t recognize. It was turned off in the picture, lying on a bed of metal. The other picture depicted a young woman who had bruises spanning the length of her body, they didn’t look serious but they did look painful. He was still not sure what he was looking at, and continued to scroll, reading the response Wagstaff had sent back.

‘I apologize to learn of what happened at the Ygrid manufacturing facility. Unfortunately I am only the designer of the automatons, I am very clear with the instructions on assembly and maintenance, if they are followed incorrectly there can be malfunctions with the unit. 

This is something all of my clients know and agree to when purchasing the design. However, seeing as this is a rather grave matter, I am willing to reimburse the cost of the design and schedule a visit to examine the automaton for any faults.

-Dr. Wagstaff

CSO of Wagstaff Enterprises’

Wilson nodded, this seemed like a logical and calm response to someone basically blaming him for their own incompetence. He imagined building a functioning automaton was difficult, though the part about increased levels of aggression was concerning. He kept reading and saw the Ygrid manufacturing employee had replied back.

‘Yes that sounds excellent. I will be forwarding this to our accounting office so our assistant can handle the paperwork.’ Wilson paused reading the email to roll his eyes, assistants were always handed the worst part of any job, ugh. He continued reading. 

‘We can schedule an appointment to the facility any time this week, at our business hours of 8:00-18:00. We will require I.D. Is there anything else that I can help with to mitigate this problem Dr. Wagstaff?’ Wilson scrolled to keep reading. 

‘If you could give a quick summary of the issue, when it started, and the outcome; it would help prepare me for my visit.’ Wagstaff had replied. Wilson checked the clock again, this was the second to last reply to the email thread, he was dying to know more. 

‘About two months ago we installed unit AX-45 on the manufacturing floor. After loading it with the provided fuel it worked very well, no problems initially. We partnered it with one of our top employees to teach it the basics of the non-manufacturing parts of the facility so that it may integrate as a part of the team. 

Unprovoked, it started to act hostile towards its partner employee as well as its other team members. We were going to turn it off to see what the problem was but it became violent. We were forced to hold it down in order to shut it off. Ygrid Manufacturing bought the design of the unit under the guise that the emotional aspect would be primitive, enough that it would not sacrifice the safety of our regular employees for its work. But this is much more than anyone bargained for, and is completely unacceptable.’ the email read. 

Wilson blinked, this was kind of intense. He read the last reply in the chain from Dr. Wagstaff, but there was nothing juicy in it, simply his acknowledgement of the problem and saying he would follow up with a call for the appointment to the facility. 

Wilson frowned, he was so curious what would happen with AX-45. One of the biggest problems with modern A.I. was that it was so determined to do its job that it would sometimes put human lives in danger to do it. It seemed Dr. Wagstaff’s designs compensate for this, but perhaps his idea of primitive emotion wasn’t as primitive as he had hoped. 

He thought about Wx-78, they were pretty emotional, much more than Wilson’s last partners. He blushed thinking one day maybe he and Wx could be partners, then shook his head to not get ahead of himself. He fixed everything up back to how he found it and rushed out of the office, peeking outside first to make sure no one was in the corridor. Seeing no one, he rushed out and to the restroom to compose himself. 

He took a moment to breathe in and out deeply. There was so much going on at once, a promotion? An automaton design belonging to his boss that went haywire? No one else noticed anything strange about the dark fuel? He stood still over the sinks, the ambient noise of the plumbing filled his eardrums. After several minutes had passed he stood up straight and exited the restroom, returning to his desk and continuing his work. He didn’t see Winona or Dr. Wagstaff anywhere. 

He continued to work when he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Winona grinning at him. 

“Did ya see?!” she asked him excitedly. He nodded. 

“There is a lot to unpack.” he said. She looked at him quizzically.

“I see, well it’s pretty much the end of the day, we can just chat at the coffee shop you like so much, right?” she suggested. Wilson blushed, oh god could he do that? Would Wx-78 find it weird that he was back there? They would definitely find him way too needy.

“Actually I’m pretty plum tuckered out, could we discuss it over coffee tomorrow?” he asked with an awkward smile. Winona frowned and rolled her eyes.

“What? It’s Saturday tomorrow, Wilson.” she said with a scowl. Wilson realized that meant they had no work tomorrow, he thought to himself for a bit.

“We could still meet up for coffee, if you’re game. My treat!” he offered. Winona seemed to give it some thought and nodded.

“Y’know what, sure. What say you to 11:00?” she asked. Wilson nodded.

“You got my number in case anything comes up, see ya tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yep, see ya tomorrow Higgsbury.”

—-

He trudged into his apartment building, checking the mail before he went upstairs, junk mail. He tossed it in the trash nearby and walked up. As he entered the apartment the smell of stew invaded his nostrils. He took a deep whiff.

“Oh that smells delicious.” he said to himself. He put down his things and wandered to the kitchen where he saw a red headed woman with Wes and Willow. Willow waved at him.

“Hey Wilson! Welcome back. I’d like you to meet my classmate, Wigfrid!” she said with a smile and gestured to the red headed woman. 

“Hello Wilson, good to meet ya.” she said, extending her hand for a handshake, which Wilson happily returned.

“Good to meet you too, Wilson Percival Higgsbury,” he bowed as he introduced himself, “lovely accent you have.” Wilson said with a smile. Wes nudged him and rolled his eyes, Wilson looked curiously at his roommate wondering why they nudged him. Willow frowned and Wigfrid only laughed.

“Ay, my Ma and Pa are from Scotland and Denmark, respectively. The hand-me-down accents got mish moshed into whatever the hell I’m speakin’ like now.” she said with a chuckle. Wilson smiled, he looked at the stew.

“That stew sure smells amazing too.” he eyed it. Wigfrid grinned and lifted her hand to pat Wilson’s back, it kinda hurt. 

“Good nose on ye! Willow here didn’t believe I could make the best stew this side a London and I just had to prove her wrong.” she said, giving Willow a smug look. Willow blushed and playfully hit her arm as Wes and Wilson glanced at each other. 

“Well if it tastes as good as it smells then I bet you do. Anything I can help with?” Wilson asked. Wes leaned on Wilson’s shoulder and gestured that they would help too.

“Thank you lads, if one of you could get the rice going, and another set the table.” she said, gesturing to their meager table in the kitchen. Wes started to get plates while Wilson put water to boil when Wes stopped and looked at Willow, who was just standing there watching. They poked her shoulder and pointed a thumb to the dishware cabinet.

“What? I went out and bought all the ingredients, you little ingrate.” she said with a wag of her fist. Wes stuck their tongue out at her then obligingly set the table. 

The night went on and the four idly chatted as they got dinner ready, as they sat down to eat, Willow took out two six-packs of beer and set them on the table. 

“Geez. Two packs, really?” Wilson asked, eyeing the beer.

“It’s Friday! Lighten up a little.” she grinned.

“Alright alright, but I’m only having one can, really.” he said assuringly. Willow and Wes glanced at each other for a moment before they returned their attention to the food.

“Alright you lot, enough chit chat. Willow, prepare to eat your words.” Wigfrid said with a smug grin. Willow raised an eyebrow and nudged her shoulder. She served herself some of the stew and the rice along with a side of cabbage that she had bought already prepared from the supermarket. The three stared at her as she ate a spoonful of the stew. Her eyes widened and she looked at the spoon. She silently took another spoonful of the stew and ate with some of the rice, then finished off with the cabbage. She put her head in her hands.

“It’s so good.” she said with a deep sigh. Wigfrid laughed heartily.

“I’ll teach ya the recipe one day.” she said with a smile. Willow blushed and giggled. Wes and Wilson gave each other a smug and knowing look. The other three served themselves and Willow passed everyone a beer can. They ate and marveled at the delicious spread before them, complimenting Wigfrid throughout the dinner. 

Wilson reached for another can as his first can was already empty. Wes nudged him and held up a single finger while raising an eyebrow quizzically. 

“Oh it’s Friday, party pooper.” Wilson said, sticking his tongue out as he opened up his next can. Wigfrid laughed as she finished up her first can.

“Pass one here, Higgsbury.” she said, Wilson obliged and sat back down. 

The four ate heartily, finishing off the stew and not leaving even a single drop. Wilson was on his fourth can of beer and started to look out of it. Willow winked at Wes and gestured to their phone, Wes grinned and took their phone out to take a video of Wilson practically falling asleep at the table. The two laughed while Wigfrid chuckled and stirred Wilson awake.

“Wuh! Oh you guys are so mean.” he said, noticing Wes taking the video of him. He chugged the rest of his beer.

“Alright Wilson, that’s your last can, you’re edging on drunk territory and I’m going out with Wig later so I can’t take care of you.” Willow said with a serious tone. Wilson waved his hand.

“But Wes is here.” he said with a smile. Wes stopped drinking from their can of beer and looked up at Wilson accusingly. Their sign language was slurred from being tipsy but it was still understandable to Wilson. Rather than speak, Wilson started to sign back at them, also slurred but still understandable. They argued about Wilson’s tendency to drink a lot on the rare occasion that he partook and that they were absolutely not babysitting him. Wilson pouted and finished his can of beer then crossed his arms. Willow and Wigfrid stared at each other before they laughed, breaking the awkward silence.

“Well let’s clean up, shall we? We can sit for a spell then head out after you change, Willow.” Wigfrid said. Wilson and Wes stopped pouting and nodded, starting to clear the table. 

The four cleared out the mess, the three roommates handling the dishes while Wigfrid freshened up in the restroom. They made quick work of the cleaning and finally sat in the common area of their studio apartment. Willow downed a glass of water and then got up.

“I’ll be back! I’m going to go change.” she said. Wes and Wilson looked at each other with another pout. Wes turned away and crossed their arms, Wilson did the same. After a few awkward moments Wes looked back at Wilson with sad puppy dog eyes. Wilson looked at Wes and beckoned them to sit next to him. Wes scooted over and gave Wilson a smile. 

“Sorry about earlier, I was being insensitive. It’s not up to you to watch my alcohol intake, and I shouldn’t just push that burden on you to worry about my limits.” Wilson said, scratching the back of his neck. 

Wes poked Wilson’s nose playfully and started to sign that it was okay, and thanked him for his apology. 

Wilson leaned on his friend a bit as the two chilled out on the couch, the ambient noise of Willow’s hair dryer filling the apartment hallway. Wes suddenly perked up and hit Wilson’s arm. 

“Ow! I said I was sorry, what did I do!” Wilson asked with a scowl. Wes signed quickly and excitedly. Wilson, in his tipsy state, didn’t keep up with Wes’ hands. “Uhm… can you repeat that… but slower?” he asked them. Wes rolled their eyes. 

They moved their hands very slowly to mock Wilson’s request and asked him how his date went. Wilson blushed deeply and smiled dumbly to himself.

“Oh Wes, it was … kind of depressing actually, but like not the date itself, just something they said to me. But it was so fun too, they’re so weird, strange really. But I like them a lot… they feel so alive, like...I wish I could just watch them live their life, but like happy…” Wilson said, trailing off at the end.

Wes asked Wilson what was wrong.

“It’s just… they’re bound to their job apparently, I didn’t know that about any of the machines I've ever… spoken to.” Wilson said, tears forming in his eyes. Wes looked a bit frantic and held up a tissue to Wilson. Wilson laughed. “Sorry, it’s just… I can’t believe someone can create something that lives and feels and dreams and then they put them in a position where they can’t choose what they want to do in life.” A tear rolled down Wilson’s cheek. “Imagine if you had no choice in what you could do in life and you can’t even have a  _ phone _ ? That you’re just doomed to do what someone tells you to do because they paid someone else money just for you to be alive? And  _ you  _ never got a cent of that money. And maybe AX-45 went a little ballistic, did anyone even think to ask them why!? Maybe they just didn’t want to work at the stupid manufacturing facility anymore! And maybe people want to go to London and start a new life for themselves. So what if they haven't gotten married and don't have kids! If they’re happy then what’s the big deal? Mind your own fucking business!” he ranted, not making any sense to Wes. They blinked and patted Wilson’s back as Wilson silently sobbed. They put their arm around him and held him close. Willow rushed out of their shared room and watched the scene before her. She sighed.

“What happened? Wilson?” she rushed to the couch to try to console him. Wilson looked at Willow, she had on a gorgeous black dress and black make up on. 

“Wow, you look so good. You look like a badass goth bitch.” he said with another silent sob. Willow looked a bit dumbfounded before she laughed loudly.

“Thanks, Wilson. Should I stay?” she asked him, patting his head.

“No, I’m fine. I’m sorry. There’s just a lot that happened today, mind if I tell you both tomorrow?” he asked, feeling a headache coming on. Wes nodded, they rubbed Wilson’s back a bit before they started to stand him up. Wigfrid came out of the restroom, she had a fresh coat of makeup on and her hair was styled differently.

“Woah, everything okay?” she asked, noticing the mood.

“Yes, apologies. I’m not the pinnacle of responsible drinking.” Wilson said with a laugh. Wigfrid tilted her head and nodded, she looked at Willow and whistled.

“Wow, you look amazing.” she said, her smile beaming on her face. Willow blushed and giggled, she went over to stand by Wigfrid and smiled at Wes and Wilson.

“I’ll taxi home, text you when I’m leaving. Wilson, sleep on your side.” she said with a stern tone. Wilson waved his hand. 

“Goodbye Wigfrid, it was lovely meeting you. I enjoyed dinner very much, hope to see you again sometime!” he said, still being held up by Wes. Wes waved politely to Wigfrid as the girls left the apartment. 

Wes nudged Wilson and the two went to their shared room together, Wes laid him down on his bed and gingerly patted his head. He exited the room for a few moments and came back with a glass of water. Then signed to Wilson that he should call if he needed anything but to just relax and sleep for the rest of the night.

“I will, thank you Wes. You’re the best.” Wilson said. Wes grinned cheekily and exited the room, dimming the lights for Wilson. Wilson drank from the water and then turned on his side, and immediately knocked out. 


End file.
